Thursday, August 20, 2015

Serena Hyena Research Camp started in 2008. When this camp
was first established, our researchers scoured the immediate area for hyena
clans and found Oz Valley Clan, Olare Clan, 17km Clan, Happy Zebra Clan, North
Clan, and South Clan. For research ease, our camp decided to study Happy Zebra,
North and South who were all in the immediate area of our camp. We knew nothing about these hyenas when
we started (ie. their rank, age, genetic relations, etc…). Each member of the
clan when we first arrived was given an arbitrary name (see this blog post if
you want to learn more about our current naming scheme: ) and we call these
hyenas the “originals”. These original hyenas eventually gave birth and we
could then track the life history of their cubs and their cub’s cubs. However,
there are five hyenas in South who have never had cubs! We have named these
ladies the “Golden Girls” after the NBC sitcom.

But why have these adult females never had cubs to term? Are
they in menopause or maternal senescence? Are they lacking certain hormones? Are
they not desirable for mating? Are they having cubs that are not surviving? We
find this interesting because it is very important for a female hyena to have
cubs; a female hyena can better maintain her rank with more offspring, and more
specifically, more female offspring. As far as we can tell, the Golden Girls’
rank have held strong within the clan since we established their rank. Why is
this?

Recently, we have discovered two of the five Golden Girls
mating! This begs the question: are all of the Golden Girls sexually active?
And if they are, are they having cubs and losing them or not having them at all?

Help Support the Research

You can help support our research by making a donation to the Hyena Research Fund at MSU. Your contributions provide necessary resources for the students and scientists to continue our work. Use the link below to make a donation or contact MSU for additional details.